22A- Elevator Pitch No.3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0e3fgYSzK4

21A- Reading Reflection No.2

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

Shoe Dog is an autobiography of Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. Phil Knight founded one of the most iconic and profitable brands in the modern era. The book about Phil Knight, one of the wealthiest people on the planet. Phil Knight has always loved sports and has been known to run about seven miles every day. Phil argues that being young and taking chances when there isn’t much to lose is worth the gamble. Phil notes many times he has taken chances that have transpired into many opportunities.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

Upon graduating college, Knight entered Stanford Graduate School of Business, where one of his professors described the “character of an entrepreneur.” Phil instantly realized that he fit those characteristics and became obsessed with Japanese, high-end, low-cost running shoes in the US. Upon graduating from Stanford, Knight stopped in Japan on his post-graduation trip. This can be compared to this exact class, where professor has described what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Professor has also provided us with many resources and literature based on what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

I would create an assignment where students would list their favorite quotes and characteristics shown by Knight and compare them to themselves through experiences these students have had in the past. These students would then dive deep into this book and find out what it takes to succeed in the business world. These characteristics and quotes will not guarantee the success that Phil Knight has had, though it will give you a chance. I think allowing each student to pick and choose their favorite quotes, while comparing them to their own real-life experiences would allow these students to see the “Phil Knight” in themselves.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

After reading a book by Mark Cuban, I realized how normal a guy Cuban is. I see many similarities in Phil Knight. Phil Knight noted 3 major lessons about life, building the path for creating the brand that has become Nike. Phil Knight notes that if you are young and don’t have as much to lose, it’s better to go for broke than not. The second is to get a mentor and a partner on board, who believes in you and your skills. Finally, in this book Knight has explained that sometimes you cannot tell people how to do certain things. Being too possessive can be counterproductive. This has been eye opening and very inspiring as it gives hope to many hopeful entrepreneurs who dream of "making it big."

20A- Growing Your Social Capital

1) Who they are and what their background is.

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

Finally: Reflect. This experience requires you to do a little 'targeted networking.' How will this experience shape how you participate in any future networking events? Did this experience differ from your networking experiences in the past? How?

• The first person I will be describing is a man by the name of Joel. Joel is an old friend of my fathers who was a lobbyist for many years, Joel would participate in backing political agendas in order to improve the idea which he was lobbying for. Joel would qualify as a supplier, since I would need the financial and political support from popular political candidates to make my proposed government subsidy a reality. I found Joel by contacting my father. I spoke to Joel briefly about the subject and the ways to properly go about lobbying, though that doesn’t sound up my alley. This person will improve my networking ability by

• The second person I spoke to is an older man was a former politician. Though he would rather be “unanimous,” Mr. Mayor is the former mayor of a city in North Miami, Florida. This is another friend of my fathers. I believe Mr. Mayor would qualify as a domain expert. This gave me the opportunity to discuss how government spending really happens. Mr. Mayor assured that this proposed idea would be great for the overwhelming majority of young people but would have a tough time being passed through congress and higher government. Though, he explained that the proposed idea would catapult the careers of many young professionals and could improve the overall success of college students.

• The third person I spoke to is a man who has worked as an accountant for 40 years. Bert has been a CPA for over 35+ years and has managed and accounted for the money of dozens of businesses for many years. Bert, the market expert, explained that in order to create this opportunity, there would need to be drastic budget cuts in order to subsidy college tuition under the current government spending budget. Bert explained that if a new government budget was proposed, this idea could become a reality. The government spending budget does account for many areas that help everyday life but creating this opportunity will allow the opportunity for many students to hit the ground running as young professionals but will take away from other areas. Finding the areas where spending should be cut would be essential for us, allowing us to exploit where money is going to waste and use it for the proposed subsidy.

My father and his friends have granted me the ability opportunity to talk to his friends about their business endeavors, which has expanded my network. The valuable experience I have learned while talking to these industry professionals has given me the knowledge and experience needed to help me succeed in the business world. This networking opportunity was different from many being that it was over the phone and geared towards a theoretical idea for this course. This has been a different experience from many networking experiences in the past, though I was able to gain real life valuable experience from speaking to these business world veterans. 

19A- Idea Napkin No.2

1) You. Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

My name is Jake Norman. I am a male from Miami, Florida. I am an Economics major at the University of Florida, also minoring in Real Estate. I am an avid sports fan with a passion for the Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Heat. My goal for this idea is to provide a government subsidy for qualifying and achieving high school students to give them the opportunity to avoid the burden of student loans.

2) What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs). 

I am proposing a government subsidy, which will give qualifying and overachieving high school students the opportunity to afford a college education at a discounted rate. This opportunity will open the door for many young professionals to kick start their careers.

3) Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

This service would be offered to anyone currently enrolled full time at any in state university. I believe that the opportunity for older students to go back to school should be an option offered as well. It is never too late to continue to grow your education, I think making it more affordable to attend college would create an incentive for these people to continue or begin their college education. The demographic and psychographic of our customer is simply any college student looking for financial help, who qualify for our requirements. These qualifying students will be well rounded and be educated on the benefits and harms of student loans and the interest rates that come along with these loans. This will make our service more important and relevant to these people. 

4) Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 

Since this product/service is not something that can be bought, I cannot explain why customers would be willing to pay money to use this product, but this service will draw the attention of anyone who is planning on paying their way through college, plans to use loans to pay for college, or any overachieving student looking for a discount on their college education. Since student loan debt and the interest rates coupled with these loans are such a relevant and important part of the lives of many recent graduates, this creates this government subsidy valuable to just about any hopeful college student. This is an incredibly relevant and current topic that is affecting the lives of many college graduates, the economy and the business demographic that targets young professionals. The more money these young professionals are spending on their student loans, the less money will be circulated throughout the economy and the less money these professionals will be able to stash away. This puts them at a disadvantage financially, as they are never truly able to “hit the ground running.”

5) What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 

Since we are the only product/service of its kind right now, providing this government subsidy would set us apart from everyone else without “core competence.” Since this government subsidy would only be available for qualifying students, our core competencies would be: Academics, Community Involvement, Athletics and You. In our core competencies, “You” is what sets you apart from the many other applicants. As many applicants will be hopeful for this government subsidy, we will focus on what separates one applicant from another based off of what makes you who you are. This will ensure that the applicant and acceptances are all individuals with their own road and their own story.

Feedback Memo

I have gotten positive feedback from every comment that I have received for this idea. I think being that we are college students currently living through it firsthand, we are biased on the subject. Though, it does not mean we are wrong. There are many things taxpayer and government money can be spent on but improving the opportunities and lives of students nationwide is something that I see as a nationwide improvement. Granting qualifying students, the opportunity for a discounted college tuition is something that will catapult the lives of many. I have been overwhelmed with the unanimous support from our student body during this class.

18A- Create a Custom Avatar

·      I'd like you to describe your prototypical customer in that segment with as much detail as you can.

o   My prototypical customer is a high-school senior/college student looking for financial assistance for college tuition to avoid student debt loans. These students must be well rounded and complete people, not just excellent students. These young people must maintain a relatively high GPA, possess adequate standardized testing scores, be involved in clubs, athletics and devote time to their community. They must show leadership qualities that show the recruiters that these students will put themselves in a position to succeed moving forward.

·      What kind of hobbies does your customer have?

o   These “Gen Z” student population enjoy their cell phones, social media, modern housing and much more. In addition to liking what they like, they understand that academics is vital and important to ensure their financial futures.

·      What kind of car do they tend to drive? (What color is it?)

o   These students may drive cars, or they may not. If they are driving cars, these students are driving whatever their “first car” is, or their parents’ car.

·      What TV shows do they watch?

o   These students watch sports, they use streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Go and so on. These students understand the cost benefit of paying for these streaming services versus paying for cable. They also understand that they can use their time more efficiently, watching more shows without commercials when using these streaming services.

·      Do they have children?

o   I would assume the overwhelming majority of these students do not have children.

·      What are their favorite books, and who are their favorite politicians?

o   I would say that describing all college students based off of a few books would be difficult. It would have to depend on who you speak to. Their favorite politicians will also differ, depending on who you speak too

·      How old are they? How old do they feel? And so on.

o   These students are 17-23. They feel older than they are, because of the advance modernized world that we have lived in for the past decade, this generation has been “a step ahead.”

What do you have in common with the customer avatar? If you have anything in common with the avatar, do you think that is a coincidence? Why?

I think I share many of the attributes described earlier, since I do fall under a majority of these categories. I do not find this to be as a coincidence, as the dense majority of college students in Gainesville do share these similar traits. These traits such as using streaming services, understanding the importance of academics, among many more show that I share many similar traits with the custom avatar.

17A- Elevator Pitch #2

I was unable to record this video due to COVID-19. My roommates departed from Gainesville amidst all of the events happening in society. I was unable to record this video that was not my Web cam, therefore I made a script for my Elevator Pitch #2. Therefore, I provided my first pitch at the bottom of the screen.

"Hello My Name is Jake Norman. I have a proposed government subsidy for qualifying students allowing them the opportunity to receive discounted college tuition based off of their prior qualifications. These students will be given the opportunity to receive government funded aid for their hard work in High School. These qualifications will include: Qualifying GPA, Standardized testing, athletic participation, club participation and involvement in their community. 

By allowing these students the opportunity for a government subsidy, we will create a "kick-start" environment for these students upon graduation. Many young professionals are put at a savings disadvantage after graduating, as these professionals spend the majority of their full-time checks paying back their student loans.

By giving these students this opportunity to ignite and kick-start their careers after graduating, we will incentivize the opportunity for these students to give more effort to their academics in high school and become a more well rounded person."                 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0e3fgYSzK4

16A- What's Your Secret Sauce?

Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique. 

·      I take pride in being different. Growing up, I would go “against the grain.”

·      I am incredibly dedicated and hard-working, when fully committed to something. I will outwork the competition and do what is necessary to win.

·      I am a former athlete who enjoys and derives great enjoyment from sports. Whether it be watching sports, reading about sports, playing sports, etc.

·      I am caring for those who are caring of me.

·      I am loyal

Interview the five people who know you the best. 

With the recent outbreak of corona virus, I resorted to conducting this interview over the phone with the 5 people who know me the best. The first interviewee was my best friend from home. A kid who I grew up with me described me as “hard-working, thoughtful, odd, annoying (jokingly, I hope) and passionate. The other was a friend I made in my many years playing baseball, this person described me as “passionate, fun to be around, hard-working, passionate and loyal. My former roommate, and best friend described me as being “different, attentive, free spirited, talented and passionate. My mother and father both described me as being “caring, passionate, athletic, thoughtful and responsible. These interviews were conducted via phone, so they were unable to be recorded and posted, but the results of these interviews were great to hear.

Reflect on the differences. 

I think that my expectations and thoughts about myself lined up perfectly with how my friends described me. There are things that my friends point out about me, that I am not necessarily quick to point out, but are accurate. I tend to get upset easily; I believe rooted from my expectations for an ideal and perfect situation/ or the best possible outcome. I think these interviews were accurate. From my original list, I would include the ability to delegate, to lead, and to encourage the big moment.  

15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior Pt.2

Find three people who would fit that segment and arrange to interview them. 

The first person I interviewed was a business major, from Miami, Florida. He graduated with high honors in high school, competed in high school athletics, in addition to being a member of many clubs, and completing community service. This student currently is in student debt, but payments do not begin until after graduation.

The second person I interviewed was an engineering major from Fort Myers, Florida. This student accrued an impressive amount of high school academic acolades, earning him a Bright Futures scholarship. This is something that he has admitted to drastically changing the course of his adult life. I think many students can benefit with my proposed government subsidy for college tuition.

The third student I interviewed was an Economics major from Orlando, Florida. This student took the Junior College route to avoid student loans for his AA. Upon enrolling at the University of Florida, this student was debt free. After obtaining an on-campus job, this student is paying for his in-state tuition by himself through a work-study program.

Begin with alternative evaluation.

The consistent message throughout these interviews was that a college education is important and investing in yourself by obtaining student loans should be a risk every confident student should take. A college tuition is a staple for many in their lives, and a catapult that can send many graduates towards a successful career and life.

How/where do they buy?

Since my product cannot be bought, the interest must be drawn in other ways. The support of local lobbyist and politicians would be necessary for this idea to become reality. 

Post-purchase evaluation. 

The overwhelming consensus from the three interviewees were incredibly positive. Allowing students, the opportunity to afford college would alter the early professional life of many.

All three of these interviews were unique in themselves. All three interviewees were diverse in their majors, background and currently financial position. These interviews helped me formulate an idea for the proposed subsidy, and the overwhelming positive reaction was wonderful to hear. The idea that this subsidy can make a difference in the lives of many creates a wonderful opportunity for many to kick-start their early professional careers.